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"I (Who Have Nothing)" (sometimes billed as "I Who Have Nothing") is an English language cover of the Italian song "Uno dei Tanti" (English: "One of Many"), with music by Carlo Donida and lyrics by Giulio "Mogol" Rapetti.[1] The initial version, "Uno dei Tanti", was performed by Joe Sentieri in 1961.

"Uno Dei Tanti"
Song
Songwriter(s)	Giulio "Mogol" Rapetti (lyrics) Carlo Donida (music)

The song first recorded in English by Ben E. King in 1963 with new lyrics by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Other successful cover versions were released by Shirley Bassey and Tom Jones.[2]

Ben E. King version

"I (Who Have Nothing)"
Single by Ben E. King
from the album Young Boy Blues
B-side	"The Beginning of Time"
Released	June 1963
Genre	Soul
Length	2:30
Label	Atco
Songwriter(s)	Carlo Donida, Mogol, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Producer(s)	Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
Ben E. King singles chronology
"How Can I Forget" (1963) "I (Who Have Nothing)" (1963) "I Could Have Danced All Night" (1963)

The English lyrics for "I (Who Have Nothing)" were written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The title is a translation of a line in the Italian lyrics "Io, che non ho niente", but otherwise the English lyrics were written afresh by the lyricists. Leiber and Stoller also produced the first English language release, performed by Ben E. King in 1963. Leiber and Stoller previously had co-written and produced the song "Stand by Me" with Ben E. King in 1961.[3] The record used the same arrangement from Joe Sentieri's record (orchestra conducted by Luis Enriquez Bacalov).

In the US, the Ben E. King version reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and No. 16 on the Hot R&B Singles chart.[4]

Charts

Chart (1963)	Peak position
Australia (Music Maker)[5]	8
US Billboard Hot 100[6]	29
US Middle-Road Singles (Billboard)[7]	10
US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard)[8]	16

Shirley Bassey Version

"I (Who Have Nothing)"
Single by Shirley Bassey
from the album Young Boy Blues
B-side	"How Can You Tell?"
Released	September 1963
Genre	Pop
Length	2:38
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Carlo Donida, Mogol, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Producer(s)	George Martin

Shirley Bassey recorded the song with producer George Martin as the song by Ben E. King was rising in the chart in the US, and released the song in the UK in September 1963. Her version reached No. 6 on UK charts. Bassey has performed the song at almost every live concert she gave, and it is included in many of her compilation albums, such as a version in I Am What I Am recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, and a version in Spanish ("Hoy No Tengo Nada") in her 1989 album La Mujer. She has also performed with the song's composer Donida who conducted his own music on Italian television.[9][10]

Charts

Chart (1963)	Peak position
Australia (Music Maker)[11]	4
New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[12]	6
Ireland (IRMA)[13]	10
UK Singles (OCC)[14]	6

Tom Jones version

Tom Jones recorded a version which was released in 1970. The song is the title track of his album I Who Have Nothing.[15] This became the most popular version of the song in the United States, peaking at No. 14 in 1970 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 2 on the Easy Listening chart,[16] and No. 10 in Canada.[17] This version also peaked at No. 11 in Cashbox.

Charts

Chart (1970)	Peak position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[18]	6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[19]	21
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[20]	10
UK Singles (OCC)[21]	16
US Billboard Hot 100[22]	14
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[23]	2

Sylvester version

"I (Who Have Nothing)"
Single by Sylvester
from the album Mighty Real
B-side	"I Need Somebody to Love Tonight"
Released	March 1979
Recorded	1979
Genre	Soul, Disco
Length	3:59
Label	Fantasy
Songwriter(s)	Carlo Donida, Mogol, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Producer(s)	Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
Sylvester singles chronology
"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" (1978) "I (Who Have Nothing)" (1979) "Stars" (1979)

Sylvester recorded a disco version in 1979. The orchestral arrangement for the song was recorded at Island Studios.[24] This version reached No. 40 in US and No. 86 Canada.[25]

Charts

Chart (1979)	Peak position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[26]	86
Ireland (IRMA)[27]	23
UK Singles (OCC)[28]	46
US Billboard Hot 100[29]	40

Other versions

Other versions which reached the Billboard charts were performed by Terry Knight and the Pack in 1966 (No. 46 US, No. 36 Canada),[30] Liquid Smoke in 1970 (No. 82 US, No. 66 Canada),[31] Warhorse in 1972.

British rock band The Spectres, later known as Status Quo, released their version of the song produced by John Schroeder in September 1966 as a single on Piccadilly Records. This would be their debut single, nearly a year before changing their name and finding their way to mainstream popularity. The single, however, failed to chart.[32]

Manfred Mann's Earth Band released their version of the song as a single only in 1981. It's also included on their Best of MMEB II album.^{[citation needed]}

Although never released as a single, Luther Vandross and Martha Wash recorded it as a duet, on his 1991 album Power of Love.^{[citation needed]}

In 1997, the hook of the song was sampled in a song of the same name by underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks, released on the album The Psycho-Social, Chemical, Biological & Electro-Magnetic Manipulation of Human Consciousness.[33]

Brian May and Kerry Ellis recorded a version of this song for their 2017 album Golden Days, alternately featuring both English and Italian vocals, the latter sung by Irene Fornaciari.^{[citation needed]}

Ray Quinn recorded his version for his 2020 album Undeniable.^{[citation needed]}

Peter Hammill recorded his version for his 2021 album In Translation.^{[citation needed]}

References

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